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Good evening, everyone. Today is a beautiful occasion marked by a special constellation. First, it is the birthday of our Sadguru Dev, Gurujī. The picture you see here is according to the astrological calendar, which is always changing as it follows the moon. In this year, 2012, there are thirteen full moons and therefore thirteen months. The seasons shift as everything is calculated according to the lunar calendar. The dates in the European calendar are fixed from the 1st to the 31st, but this is a man-made system. The moon and all the stars are God-made. Yesterday, in a satsaṅg webcast from India, a Paṇḍitjī was speaking on the Mahāśivapurāṇa and shared an interesting story. There was a farmer from a long line of farmers who was modern-minded and had studied agriculture at university. The seasons were always changing, so the farmer prayed urgently to God. God, who listens to devotees, answered. The farmer said, "God, you have done something, but you don't understand the feelings of farmers and of nature. We suffer—sometimes too much rain, sometimes none. Summer is very hot, winter very cold. Please, for one year, give me control. I know what the crops need: how much temperature, how much water, and when. You send rain at the wrong time." God said, "Okay, for one year, go ahead. Feel free." So the farmer used his computer to change the entire seasons, temperatures, and rainfall, balancing everything perfectly. He designed good rain, planted seeds, and gave water timely. The crops grew nearly two and a half meters high, whereas normally they grow only half a meter or two meters. The farmer was happy. The temperature was also balanced—not too hot, not too cold. But when harvest time came, the plants were big but held no seeds inside—no corn, no wheat, no barley. He complained to God. God said, "Go ahead, you are doing." The farmer said, "No, Lord, take it back into your hands." God knows when and how to fill the entire earth—more rain, less rain, heat, cold. We humans are spoiled nowadays. When it is a little cold, we put on the heater. When it gets a little warm, 30 or 32 degrees, we put on the air conditioner. This manipulation is not good. There are two kinds of worlds existing now: one is the God-made world, and one is the man-made world. The God-made world is perfect; the man-made world is imperfect. The constellations according to the moon and other planets and the sun are all designed in the universe for all planets, including our Earth. The moon is changing; last fortnight, from new moon to full moon, there were fifteen days instead of the normal fourteen. This week, one day is taken away. Yesterday's full moon began after midnight, after ten o'clock, and then entered its decreasing phase. Astrological calculation according to the moon is very correct. Our lives are influenced by certain constellations, as is our birth. First, I spoke of karma—the purification of karma theory and technique. When our soul is truly born, not in the physical world but in the astral world, it is decided by the higher consciousness of God. Then the soul descends and comes to this Earth. This Earth has two names; some give three. One name is the mortal world. "Mortal" means it is not forever. Whoever comes will go, and whoever went may come back. What is manifested will dematerialize. What is created will be destroyed. Nothing is permanent. Even mountains have their time; our Earth has its time. It will disappear in billions or trillions of years, but one day will be the end. So what is here is not immortal. This is the mortal world, where one who is born will die. Second, this world is called karma bhūmi. "Karma" means actions—to do something, whether good or bad, physically, mentally, intellectually, or socially. The human should progress from bad to good, from darkness to light, and free or liberate the soul into the light. This soul is Jīva, meaning living, alive. Śiva is the consciousness. Our Jīva is the light of Śiva or Brahman. We have to come back; that is our destination. This Jīva, the individual soul, flutters on the waves of time through the entire universe, sometimes descending to this planet to develop and move forward. Any kind of improvement for your soul, your karma, or your destiny cannot be done in the astral world. There, we see everything clearly: what our problems were, what mistakes we made, and why we had certain experiences. But you cannot change it there; it is like a dream. You dream of visiting a friend in Melbourne. You ring the doorbell, but there is no answer because they are not home. You write a note: "Hello, dear friend, I was here, but you were not, so I must return to Brisbane." You wrote in a dream with your astral body, but physically nothing was there. Your friends did not know you were there. Similarly, in the astral world, with the subtle body, we cannot do karma; we are only witnesses. When we come back into the physical world, we can do something visible. That is why the soul descends to this Earth, the mortal world and karma bhūmi. This karma bhūmi has three names: janma bhūmi, karma bhūmi, and dharma bhūmi. Janma bhūmi is the place where you were born. In the Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavān Rāma, during his fourteen years in the forest, took mud from his birthplace. Wherever he went, he placed this earth as an altar, a symbol of his mother and father, so he always felt protected. This is Janmabhūmi. Bhagavān Rāma said, "My Janmabhūmi, where I was born or incarnated, is more dear to me than Svarga, heaven, because I am thankful to Mother Earth who gave me a place immediately when I was born and developed." Then it becomes karma bhūmi. You were born somewhere but go elsewhere to work, act, and do—that is your field of work, your karma bhūmi. For example, if you are a manager for a company in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and the Far East, that region is your field of work, your karma bhūmi. Then there is dharma bhūmi: your body. Your body is not different from this Earth. It is said you are the salt of the Earth, meaning you are the essence, a part of the Earth. This body is given to you here, and when your soul departs, you cannot take this body; you must leave it. If you think, "My body is beautiful; I want to keep it with me when I die," God says, "There is no place; everything is limited. Leave your body here. We will give you a better body. Otherwise, everyone would fight over bodies." On this karma bhūmi, dharma bhūmi, and janma bhūmi, we come. That is why it is called the mortal world. All changes of the planets influence every corner of the Earth. Scientists say the changing phases of the moon are very important. Some ask why every day is not a full moon. If it were, people would go completely crazy. When the moon begins to become full, one or two days before and after, some people become depressed, angry, or emotional because they are so pure inside that any change is too heavy for them to balance the material and spiritual worlds. They are more developed and cannot master that motion, so they are in emotion. For a day or two, they experience depression, anger, or withdrawal, and then they may explode. On the dark moon night, a disciple of mine, a professor at the University of Maribor in Slovenia, told me he read a scientific article stating the moon is like a balancing needle for the Earth's rotation. The moon may be small compared to the Earth, but like a thin needle, it has immense power to balance weight. A physiotherapist can tell you that lifting one book has a ton of effect on your spinal column. Like a crane that can lift heavy weight from a distance but not when very near, the moon balances the seasons. During full or dark moons, the ocean has very high waves. Nature is affected by the moon. All wildlife becomes restless—the lonely wolf in the snow or forest looks to the moon, becomes hypnotized, and howls. Humans are no different. Constellation calculation of time is exact according to moon phases. There is something more: Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad Gītā, "Arjuna, through the full moon I enter into the vegetation as nectar." Some farmers always plant seeds on the new moon day. From new moon till full moon, you can plant seeds. From the day after full moon, crops will not be very good and will develop many bugs. We conducted an experiment in Jadān Ashram, and it proved true. I saw a man on television in Austria—you may not know here—who collected thirty-five Christmas trees (Tannenbaum or pine trees). He showed that trees cut on a particular moon phase did not lose their needles even when completely dry. But trees cut on the dark moon, when the moon is decreasing, lost their needles within five or six days after drying. These experiments are very correct. Farmers who inherit knowledge from their parents know these things, but those who study agriculture at university for many years do not. They are experts at manipulating apples and pears, grafting grapes, creating hybrids that have no seeds and must be propagated by cuttings. Like the farmer who told God, "Give me control, and I will show you," we humans have lost contact with nature. Another interesting story from about five years ago: A family had two children with food allergies, such as to gluten. They decided to spend summer holidays on a farm with cows. The children played barefoot in warm weather, helping with chores. After three weeks, they were free from allergies. Others tried this, and their allergies also improved. How can nature do this? Now, special cow dung from Indian Brahman cows, which eat dry grass and herbs in fields, is imported to Europe to make plaster for walls. It provides excellent insulation—warm in cold, cool in heat. I have also used cow dung and earth in buildings in India for natural benefits. In Australia, it is fashionable to build mud houses with natural materials like earth bricks, which are beautiful and healthy. Concrete and iron are not good for our health. Slowly, one part of humanity is returning to nature and developing organic practices. Unfortunately, the majority still go towards pesticides for money, construction, and development. Someone told me the economy here is not good, and people have stopped building many structures. I said, "Thanks to God," because excessive building destroys the ground, agriculture, and forests. Previous generations lived in one house with a few rooms, but now humans have become selfish and individualistic. Television divided families, the internet divided them more, and laptops have completely separated people, with no contact within families. People are workaholics, always looking at computers. Workaholic is a disease like alcoholic; after workaholic comes other "holics." Today is a full moon. Yesterday's constellation is gone, but its radiance is still complete upon us. If you practice spiritual sādhanā on a full moon day, it gives the benefit of thirty days. If you practice for thirty days, it counts only as one full moon day. Therefore, on the full moon day, one should fast. Restless energy goes away, and spiritual energy comes from the moon. For sensitive people, fasting brings balance. Of course, pregnant women and those with illnesses like diabetes, who must eat every few hours, are exceptions. Otherwise, fasting with more prayer, meditation, and mantras is beneficial. In Sanātana Dharma, Hindu Dharma, Vedic culture, and Vedic time periods, these constellations were very important. There are nine planets (excluding Earth, which we call the living planet). All nine planets influence Earth, causing different situations and climate changes. What we call climate change today is not only due to pollution but also the shifting of planets and Earth. Deserts may become snowy, and glaciers may melt, making cold places hot. That time will come. We may not see it; we may be in Brahmaloka. If we do not practice spirituality, we will see it in a different life billions of years from now. This is the place where we can develop. From here, our journey continues either towards different lives or towards liberation. The opportunity is given, and the decision is ours. If we say, "It is not so," we are living in the scientific and technological world. Your science does not help you at all; you cannot compare with God. A man was sitting under a large, ancient banyan tree, meditating in the heat. A scientist with many titles—doctor, doctor, doctor—came by. The more you study, the more careful you must be. Intellectual knowledge can pull you down. It is said, "While reading books, yugas passed. No one became a wise paṇḍit. But one who read only two and a half letters became great." What were those two and a half? The name of God. Did God Rāma have a title of doctor, professor, or engineer? Did Kṛṣṇa? Did Jesus? Did Buddha? We adore them as God. Study is good, technology is good, but the modern education system has made humans individualistic and lost, taking them away from God and spirituality. This is Kali Yuga, leading souls into dark ways. Study is good, but take care. It is like having a brand-new car with advanced technology. It is good. You drive on a highway with many curves. The car is good, but if you drive out of joy at high speed, an accident can happen. The car is good, but steering must be in your hands completely. As much as you study, your inner steering, self-steering, is lost. You are no longer within yourself; you are outside. That scientist, about seventy-five years old, was always angry at people praying or meditating. He saw the yogī meditating under the tree and thought, "What a stupid man, sitting with closed eyes like a madman, wasting a beautiful human life—no studying, just lazy and selfish." He decided to give instructions. He approached and said, "Excuse me." The yogī opened his eyes and said, "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?" The scientist asked, "What are you doing here? I am interested." The yogī said, "I am meditating." "On what? For what? Why?" He asked many questions. The yogī said, "I am meditating on God." "Who is God? Who has seen God? Did you see God? Did your father or grandfather? Where does God live? What does he eat? When does he sleep?" The yogī said, "I don't know that much, but I know God is almighty." "What do you mean?" "God created the entire universe, Earth, trees, humans, and animals." The scientist said, "Oh, you believe that? But he has no common sense." The yogī was annoyed. "What do you mean?" "No problem. I can show you. Come to my office, and I will teach you science. Learn something; become human." The yogī asked again, "What do you mean God has no common sense?" "I will show you immediately. Look at this big tree, nearly thirty meters high and wide. God gave it such small fruits. Now look at a watermelon plant—so gentle it cannot even stand, yet God gave it a fifteen- or twenty-kilo melon. He should give big fruits to big trees and small fruits to small plants." The yogī said, "That's all?" The scientist was angry. "It is science!" The yogī said, "Okay, sir, just a minute." He prayed inside, "God, please be merciful to this boy, your son. Give him a lesson." At that moment, a crow sitting on the tree was eating a fruit and dropped it. It fell on the scientist's head. The scientist reacted, and the yogī said, "What happened, sir?" "Oh, nothing, this little fruit fell." The yogī said, "Sir, don't say 'nothing.' What would your science say if a twenty-kilo melon had fallen on your head?" The scientist realized, "Oh yes, you are right. Good that God gave big fruits to gentle plants lying on the earth and small fruits to trees. Sorry. We must do more research." The yogī said, "I am waiting for answers." The scientist began to think about God. His hobby was mountain climbing, so he went to the Himalayas. He climbed high rocks and nearly reached the top, holding on, when his rope broke. He was hanging, alive. He thought, "I should experiment with my science again. People say there is a God. I want to see if God is there." He screamed, "God, I know you live in the Himalayas. Are you there, listening to me?" God, twenty meters away, said, "Yes, my son, what do you want?" "What kind of God are you, asking me what I want? You should know, especially in this situation." God said, "But I want to hear from you, my son." "Save my life! I tell you, God, if you help me, I will give all my money to advertise on big posters and television that there is a God. Believe in God." God said, "Really, you will do this?" "Yes! Don't ask questions. Hurry up! My hands are burning." God said, "Don't worry. Wait." "You don't feel; I feel! I worry! Can you help me or not?" God said, "Yes, I will help you. Do you believe I exist?" "Yes, I do believe." "Okay. Will you do everything I tell you?" "Yes, God, I will do anything." God said, "Then release your hands." The scientist said, "So stupid I am not." God said, "Then remain hanging." As much as you study dry intellectual knowledge, it keeps you away from God and spirituality. If you study higher education but keep in your heart love for all creatures and faith in an Almighty God, that is your plus point. God is there, but Kali Yuga has affected humanity. There are limited people fighting for organic nourishment, natural ways of life, and world peace. Unfortunately, the majority do not understand or want to understand. They think, "I have only one life. If my children suffer afterward, it is their karma." If you ask them, "Do you believe in karma?" they say no. The torture of animals is unbelievable. Look at cows: they cannot sit or sleep because their udders are so enlarged from humans wanting more milk. They are treated as milk machines. How far will humans bring this situation on Earth? No doubt something terrible will happen. Who is guilty? The greedy. Pray, meditate, and lead a proper life. I am happy to know that in Australia, there are houses made of earth. About ten or fifteen years ago, I held a yoga seminar near Melbourne with thirty or forty people. The hall and rooms were made of earth with natural roofs—very pleasant and good. Now, everywhere in the world, people are returning to nature. Living in such houses improves health compared to concrete houses. The moon greatly influences our nature, mind, bodies, and other planets. Yogis have researched when and what to do. That is why on a full moon day we should fast. Today is Monday, a full moon day. The 5th of August is fixed as the International Day of Brothers and Sisters, Rakṣābandhan. Since the whole world does not know lunar calendar dates, we fix it nearby, plus or minus. On this day, remember your brothers and sisters, give presents or a telephone call, and respect each other. This brings family and society closer. We meditate, pray, and fast. When a full moon day falls on a Thursday, Jupiter and the moon come together, called Guru. Today is like a Guru Kodi. I wish you all the best, and God bless you. Tomorrow, Devkast will be from another country. It was nice to be with you this last week. Now I am stretching my wings overseas again. Thank you. God bless you.